Week Two

This week

The lecture was good and held some more interesting points about the teacher as a researcher and how we need to have our own guiding principles as well as abide by the code of conduct that is imposed by our employer. It also discussed the ethical implications when taking on a research project and who will eventually read that publication or report. Who will it affect? How will it affect them? What confidentiality do you need to think about when engaging in a project? These questions amongst others where interesting, as it is important to realise who I am going to be using my project for and who will be reading it. I feel certain that my mentor will require a finalised copy which is something to consider throughout the whole task.

The lecture also discussed the limitations of the project and how far the project can be taken with the goal that has been devised. Knowing when to stop and being able to control the focus of the project is paramount as it can get side-tracked, therefore data collected would be on the incorrect topic for the purpose of the goal.

The workshop was also very interesting as we delved deeper into ourselves as professional communicators. We discussed the situational context of our projects and how this would be described in the analysis part of our proposals. I found our group to be particular useful in the way we discuss things and engage with each other. There is an ease in discussions when the participants are able to communicate with each on a personal level as well. The issue I have found with this though is that going off task occurs frequently and interruptions happen often as we realise no-one will become offended easily. I am guilty of interruptions and need to realise this, as in a professional context it can offend very easily. During discussions I find it extremely difficult to sit back and not say anything if an idea has come to mind. I need to be patient and wait for the speaker to finish first.

We were also introduced to a ‘diigo’ which is a social bookmarking website. It is a fantastic tool to allow you to bookmark all your journal articles, books, websites etc and share them in a professional community.



Project development

Looking through the questions I believe in this early development stage some of these questions can’t be answered yet. The main development this week is the learning curve I have been on through Google Sites and how to develop a website. The work involved is astounding. I am glad there are tools and resources available to me that make my life easier to navigate.

This week’s focus:

• Answer at least 2 of previous blog post questions
• Start on video tutorials
• Start on questions for questionnaires (teachers & students)

My feelings on this project are positive currently and I don’t believe I am trying to achieve to much as I want the school to have good recommendations when I finish my report. I do realise that this is a complicated process and that it can be very daunting for many people. There does seem to be a running theme of negativity towards this whole semester which has been generated, I believe, through lack of understanding of the subjects, confusion of the tasks and a non-proactive approach to learning for the last semester. I find it frustrating that my peers are unable to grasp the necessary concepts that have been engaged in the first two weeks. A sense of panic has overcome the cohort leaving them unable to comprehend how to engage with the structure of the tasks ahead. I feel it is necessary for me to assist and help any of my peers who are unable to understand the current situation. Although this is becoming increasingly difficult as there seems to be confusion at every turn. This is all I can say on the subject for now. I only hope it improves over the next few weeks.

Thank you

Al